
Surf Forecasts:
The Bar surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,396 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Bar this week:
The surf forecast for The Bar over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Bar in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got a look at the swell window for The Bar. Let’s get into it.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. Sunday the 2nd has some surfable waves, but they’re weak and ordinary. The break is picking up a WNW swell direction, which is what it likes, but the swell is small and the energy is low at 146. The water is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than what we’d normally expect for this time of year. Not a huge deal, but it’s nice.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Monday the 3rd right through to Thursday the 7th, the conditions are just poor. The swell is tiny, the wind is wrong, and there’s nothing to get excited about. On Wednesday the 5th, the swell jumps up to 8 ft and 10 ft, with a ton of energy in the water (724 and 1396), but it’s coming in with strong onshore wind from the NW. That’s a messy, blown-out mess. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.
Friday the 7th sees a little improvement, but the surf is still poor. The swell is around 3 ft to 4 ft and the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the wave quality isn’t there. The energy is moderate at 148 and 250. Nothing to call home about.
The weekend of the 8th and 9th is still poor. The swell is up to 5 ft but the wind is onshore, ruining any chance of a good wave. The energy is moderate (324) but it’s wasted.
After that, it’s another gap of poor conditions from Monday the 10th to Wednesday the 12th. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and the energy is weak. Not worth paddling out.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 13th has a bit of life. The morning shows 4 ft swell from the W with a 10-second period, and glassy, offshore wind from the SSE. The energy is moderate at 260, and it’s clean. The afternoon bumps up to 6 ft, but the wind switches to a cross-on, so it’s not as good.
The standout is Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. This is the best on offer. Friday morning, you’ve got an 8 ft WNW swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy calm. The energy is strong at 1225. This is an advanced-level day, not for beginners. The swell is big, the period is solid, and the conditions are perfect. The afternoon is still good, but the wind picks up to a light cross-on, which takes the edge off. Saturday morning is just as good, with another 8 ft WNW swell, glassy conditions, and strong energy at 1208. The wind is calm, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon sees the wind turn onshore, so get out early.
Sunday the 16th is still decent, with a 6 ft WNW swell and offshore wind in the morning. The energy is moderate at 523. It’s clean and should be fun. After that, the swell drops off and we’re back to poor conditions on Monday the 17th.
So, the play is clear: if you’re an experienced surfer, mark your calendar for Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. The Bar will be firing with clean, powerful waves. The rest of the window is a write-off or just average.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the NW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Wed morning, light winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
126 | 90 | 45 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 222 | 724 | 1396 | 684 | 108 | 30 | 42 | 147 | 235 | 395 | 324 | 270 | 277 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:04PM3.46m | 9:25AM2.95m | 9:39PM3.34m | 10:04AM2.87m | 10:18PM3.18m | 10:49AM2.78m | 11:06PM2.99m | 11:45AM2.68m | 00:08AM2.79m | 12:58PM2.62m | 1:30AM2.66m | 2:23PM2.69m | 3:01AM2.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:38PM0.36m | 3:15AM0.36m | 3:13PM0.47m | 3:50AM0.44m | 3:52PM0.61m | 4:31AM0.57m | 4:39PM0.79m | 5:21AM0.74m | 5:39PM0.97m | 6:27AM0.91m | 7:03PM1.08m | 7:52AM0.98m | 8:42PM1.02m | ||||||||
5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:32 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | |
mm | 1 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 8 | — | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | W 10 | — | — | — | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | — | — | — |
126 | 90 | 45 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 2 | — | — | — | 108 | 25 | 42 | 147 | 235 | 299 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 9 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 10 | W 9 | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
15 | 15 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 17 | 26 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 10 | WSW 10 | SW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — | E 2 | — | — | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | — | WNW 5 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 |
— | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 222 | 724 | 1396 | 684 | — | 30 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 395 | 324 | 270 | 277 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 137 | 149 | 149 | 442 | 40 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 40 | 7 | 7 | 266 | 40 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Bar Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Bar provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Bar can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Bar surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Bar) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Bar may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Sligo? If you are looking for accommodation near The Bar, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Sligo, consider staying in Sligo which is 10 km (6 miles) away. Other places in and around Sligo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Ballina which is 38 km (24 miles) away, Killybegs, Claremorris and Enniskillen.











